ABSTRACT The cytoplasmic domains of the transmembrane (TM) envelope proteins (TM-CDs) of most retroviruses have a Tyr-based motif, YXXØ, in their membrane-proximal regions. This signal is involved in the trafficking and endocytosis of membrane receptors via clathrin-associated AP-1 and AP-2 adaptor complexes. We have used CD8-TM-CD chimeras to investigate the role of the Tyr-based motif of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), and human T-leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) TM-CDs in the cell surface expression of the envelope glycoprotein. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy studies showed that this motif is a major determinant of the cell surface expression of the CD8-HTLV chimera. The YXXØ motif also plays a key role in subcellular distribution of the envelope of lentiviruses HIV-1 and SIV. However, these viruses, which encode TM proteins with a long cytoplasmic domain, have additional determinants distal to the YXXØ motif that participate in regulating cell surface expression. We have also used the yeast two-hybrid system and in vitro binding assays to demonstrate that all three retroviral YXXØ motifs interact with the μ1 and μ2 subunits of AP complexes and that the C-terminal regions of HIV-1 and SIV TM proteins interact with the β2 adaptin subunit. The TM-CDs of HTLV-1, HIV-1, and SIV also interact with the whole AP complexes. These results clearly demonstrate that the cell surface expression of retroviral envelope glycoproteins is governed by interactions with adaptor complexes. The YXXØ-based signal is the major determinant of this interaction for the HTLV-1 TM, which contains a short cytoplasmic domain, whereas the lentiviruses HIV-1 and SIV have additional determinants distal to this signal that are also involved.


In an effort to address the growing income disparities between rural and urban residents in China, Chinese authorities introduced a series of rural development policies beginning in 2002 that established as a national goal a  xiaokang  (all around better off) society and gave top priority to the triad of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. Farmers' cooperatives, consequently, have received substantial government support since 2002 as they are viewed as an important institution for linking small-scale producers to agro-food supply chains, and particularly value-added food chains. Yet little is understood regarding how and to what extent farmers' cooperatives have benefited members and contributed to rural development in China. Using a case study method and in-depth interviews, we evaluated three successful farmers' cooperatives in China. Following the "deepening-broadening-regrounding" typology proposed by van der Ploeg, Long, and Banks (2002), we found that the farmers' professional cooperatives can make important economic, social, and environmental contributions to rural development by adopting alternative strategies and activities. On the other hand, these cooperatives also face great challenges for further development, including limited access to land and capital, a massive loss of laborers, low market competitiveness, weak internal management, and limited government support, which explains why cooperatives are not more widespread in China. This paper offers new insights into the roles of farmers' cooperatives and government in rural development.


The sinterability of hydroxyapatite (HA) powder synthesized through a novel wet chemical method (HAp) and a wet mechanochemical method (HAwm) was investigated over a temperature range of 1000oC to 1400oC in terms of phase stability, bulk density, hardness and fracture toughness. The results indicated that the sinterability of HAp powder were significantly better than HAwm powder. Moreover, the XRD traces of HAwm sintered samples showed signs of decomposition into TTCP when sintered at 1300oC and above. Densification of ~98% of theoretical density was attained by HAp compacts at 1100oC while the HAwm compacts exhibited only ~96% of theoretical density even at 1350oC with no significant increase of density at 1400oC. The Vickers hardness of HAp showed increasing trend for temperature range of 1000oC to 1100oC with the compacts attaining HV of ~7 GPa at 1100oC. Subsequently, the hardness decreased with increasing sintering temperature though the value does not dropped below ~5 GPa. Similarly, HAwm compacts showed an increasing trend from 1000oC to 1300oC with the largest HV attained was ~4.57 GPa. Further increased in sintering temperature resulted in the decreased of Vicker's hardness. Moreover, the HAp samples reached a maximum fracture toughness of ~0.9 MPam1/2 at 1050oC while the HAwm attained maximum KIc of only ~0.7 MPam1/2 at 1300oC.


OBJECTIVE
To analyse the volatile oil from seed of Chimonanthus praecox.

METHODS
The volatile oil was extracted by Supercritical CO2 fluid and was analysed by GC-MS.

RESULTS
Through comparison with mass spectra database, 43 components were isolated and identified. The main components are Calycanathine (51.88%), Calycanthidine (11.43%), n-Pentatriacontene (11.49%), (E, E)-2,4-Decadienal (9.67%), 1,1-diethoxyethoxy-3, 7-dimethyl-2, 6-Octadiene ( 3.40%), 7, 10-Octadecadienoic acid, methyl ester (3.38% ), 2, 13-Octadecadien-1-ol (2.90%), (1S-cis)-1,2,3,5,6,8a-hexahydro-4,7-dimethyl-1 (1-methylethyl)-Naphthalene (1. 90%), 3-Hexadecyne ( 1.82%), Hexadecanoic acid metyl ester( 1.78% ), Caryophyllene oxide (1.49%), n-Hexadecanoic acid (1.48%), Spathulenol (1.07%).

CONCLUSION
Compounds (1S-cis)-1, 2,3,5,6,8a-hexahydro-4,7-dimethyl-1-(1-metyl-ethyl)-Naphthalene, Farnesol and Spathulenol are isolated from the Chimonanthus praecox for the first time.


In this paper we address the Adjacent Quadratic Assignment Problem (AQAP) which is a variant of the QAP where the cost coefficient matrix has a particular structure. Motivated by strong lower bounds obtained by applying Reformulation Linearization Technique (RLT) to the classical QAP, we propose two special RLT representations for the problem. The first is based on a "flow" formulation whose linear relaxation can be solved very efficiently for large instances while the second one has significantly more variables and constraints, but possesses some desirable properties relative to the constraint set. Our computational results indicate that the second model outperforms the classical level-2 RLT, as it obtains lower bounds close to the optimal solutions for all instances with less computational effort.


This research study utilised the grounded theory method as developed by Glaser and Strauss (1967) in order to construct a theoretical framework for understanding the functioning of staffed group homes for children and youth. Ten residential settings in five governmental regions of British Columbia were studied over a period of fourteen months using the techniques of on-site participant observation, transcribed interviews and document analysis. The core theme that emerged from the constant comparative analysis was "congruence". The notions of the "struggle for congruence" and "the flow of congruence" in service of the children's best interests were seen to play a pivotal role in the functioning of group home life and work, and three properties of congruence were identified: consistency, reciprocity and coherence. Three major psychosocial processes also emerged as sub-categories, including: "creating an extrafamilial living environment", the overall task of a home; "responding to pain and pain-based behaviour", the major challenge for staff; and "developing a sense of normality", the primary goal for residents. Completing the framework matrix were eleven key interactional dynamics that were evident across all five levels of operation of the group homes, namely: extra-agency, management, supervision, carework/teamwork, and youth and families. Ten selected residential child and youth care studies published in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States are analysed through the lens of the framework. While seen to be complementary to the related texts, this study brings forward several previously neglected aspects of group home life and work together with more commonly explored notions into an integrated and accessible framework. Implications for residential child and youth care policy development, education, practice and research are proposed.


: Pediatric oncology patients undergo medical treatments which often require repeated lumbar punctures and bone marrow aspirations, in general a painful and anxiety-provoking experience. We offered a few patients the opportunity to volunteer for hypnotic help in pain control. The technique of the hypnosis put in practice is described extensively. With some adaptations it can be used for various diagnostical and/or therapeutical medical examinations that are painful for the child and/or anxiety-provoking.


Recent developments in the contribution to the literature on procedural justice have opened avenues for exploring the subject and gaining perspective in the field with a view to assessing how the concept of procedural justice has evolved over the periods and how it is shaping up for the future. This paper reviews the procedural justice literature since 1990. Four theories exploring procedural justice are presented. The antecedents, consequences, and contexts for procedural justice effects are reviewed. This study reveals that attention to matters relating to procedural justice need to be practiced in the foreseeable future.


The Architecture of visual process modeling tools for web services composition based on BPEL is introduced in detail. The concepts of arcs and nodes are imported and a visual process editor is implemented. Meanwhile, graphical method and the mapping technology which maps flow chart to BPEL elements are adopted. We give the method of describing QoS ontology of Web services and propose a solution to the service query and selection based on web service QoS constraint, which makes the web services that meet the consumers' requirement be bound with the business process dynamically and flexibly.


This paper contains a detailed treatment of the human capital model of the demand for health. Theoretical predictions are discussed, and theoretical extensions are reviewed. Empirical research that tests the predictions of the model or studies causality between years of formal schooling completed and good health is surveyed. The model views health as a durable capital stock that yields an output of healthy time. Individuals inherit an initial amount of this stock that depreciates with age and can be increased by investment. The household production function model of consumer behavior is employed to account for the gap between health as an output and medical care as one of many inputs into its production. In this framework the shadow price' of health depends on many variables besides the price of medical care. It is shown that the shadow price rises with age if the rate of depreciation on the stock of health rises over the life cycle and falls with education if more educated people are more efficient producers of health. An important result is that, under certain conditions, an increase in the shadow price may simultaneously reduce the quantity of health demanded and increase the quantities of health inputs demanded.


The process towards the European Monetary Union has been completed by almost all the European Union's countries, including, with high probability, Italy. Nonetheless, some scholars still warn that the serious deficiencies embedded in the Maastricht Treaty, that surfaced during the convergence process, may hinder the functioning of the monetary union. This note agrees with this warning and puts forward some considerations on the reasons that may have led to the present situation, in particular as regards the role that economists have played, and may play in the future, in the elaboration of the "economic constitution" of the European Union.


Patients, who benefit from cartilage repair surgery, need a non-invasive and highquality imaging modality to assess the structure and the biochemical property of the repair tissue. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which provides better tissue contrast and high spatial resolution, is currently the best imaging technique available for the assessment of articular cartilage pathologies. In addition to MR morphology sequences, that allow cartilage lesions detection as well as repair tissue evaluation from the articular surface of the joint to the bone-cartilage interface, MRI mapping techniques help to assess the technical success of the procedure of cartilage repair and the state of cartilage healing, as well the identification of possible complications after cartilage repair surgery. MRI mapping techniques such as T1, T2 and T2* mapping help to assess the biochemical property of the repair tissue using delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) to assess the proteoglycan content and T2/T1rho (T1ρ) mapping to assess the collagen content and the fiber matrix arrangement. This chapter gives an overview about the MRI mapping techniques used for Cartilage Repair Tissue Follow-up.


Different parts of the sclera have different biochemical and biomechanical properties. It was shown that the sclera is much more extensible in the meridional than in the equatorial direction; this extensibility of the sclera was especially marked in myopic eyes. Bulbar stretching is probably due to an accumulation of residual microdeformations in the sclera as a result of its periodical overload. In scleras of myopic eyes structural anomalies were found which might be explained by an incomplete fibrillogenesis. The deterioration of the biomechanical properties of the sclera in myopia seems to be linked to a metabolic disturbance of the acid mucopolysaccharides.


Perception of a temporal pattern in a sub-second time scale is fundamental to conversation, music perception, and other kinds of sound communication. However, its mechanism is not fully understood. A simple example is hearing three successive sounds with short time intervals. The following misperception of the latter interval is known: underestimation of the latter interval when the former is a little shorter or much longer than the latter, and overestimation of the latter when the former is a little longer or much shorter than the latter. Although this misperception of auditory time intervals for simple stimuli might be a cue to understanding the mechanism of time-interval perception, there exists no model that comprehensively explains it. Considering a previous experiment demonstrating that illusory perception does not occur for stimulus sounds with different frequencies, it might be plausible to think that the underlying mechanism of time-interval perception involves a causal inference on sound sources: herein, different frequencies provide cues for different causes. We construct a Bayesian observer model of this time-interval perception. We introduce a probabilistic variable representing the causality of sounds in the model. As prior knowledge, the observer assumes that a single sound source produces periodic and short time intervals, which is consistent with several previous works. We conducted numerical simulations and confirmed that our model can reproduce the misperception of auditory time intervals. A similar phenomenon has also been reported in visual and tactile modalities, though the time ranges for these are wider. This suggests the existence of a common mechanism for temporal pattern perception over modalities. This is because these different properties can be interpreted as a difference in time resolutions, given that the time resolutions for vision and touch are lower than those for audition.


An experiment was conducted to investigate the toxicity and tissue distribution of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) following oral gavage in broilers. A total of four hundred and thirty-two 15-day-old Ross 308 male broilers were allotted to 6 treatments with 6 replicates of 12 birds per replicate and administered a single oral dose of MSM at 0, 50, 100, 300, 1,000, or 2,000 mg/kg BW (Study 1). Another one hundred and sixty-eight 3-day-old chicks were allotted to either control or test group (Study 2) and administered a daily oral gavage of either 0 or 1, 500 mg/kg BW of MSM for 21 D consecutively. Blood and tissue samples were collected over a 48 h (Study 1) or 21 D (Study 2) period and analyzed for MSM concentrations. Toxicity was assessed through changes in hematology and clinical blood chemistry. In Study 1, plasma MSM concentrations were below 167 μg/mL at all time-points in birds receiving up to 300 mg/kg BW, and were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in birds receiving 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg BW. Similarly, only the highest 2 MSM dosages elicited increased lymphocyte and decreased heterophil counts at 8 h (P < 0.003) and decreased hematocrit at 48 h (P = 0.015). Growth performance variables were unaffected by MSM in Study 2, and plasma and tissue MSM concentrations were highest on study day 21, with MSM-dosed birds always exhibiting higher (P < 0.03) concentrations compared with the control. Birds in Study 2 that were dosed with MSM had decreased liver enzyme concentrations at day 7 and 21 and decreased glucose and phosphorus at day 7. Importantly, MSM was detected in plasma and all tissues of control groups, confirming that MSM is synthesized de novo in chickens. In conclusion, oral MSM at either acute (single dose at 1,000 to 2,000 mg/kg BW) or sub-chronic (1,500 mg/kg BW daily for 21 D) concentrations did not cause any adverse effects on growth or clinical outcomes and appeared to be absorbed and distributed throughout the body.


Abstract Chromatic and achromatic plant cues are expected to be particularly important for parasitoids of endophytic pupal hosts, because these stages do not feed and therefore avoid volatile emission caused by plant tissue damage. Endophytic feeding can cause discoloration or desiccation, leading to changes in color and/or brightness of infested plant parts that may be visually detected by parasitoids. The role of color cues in the host-finding behavior of parasitoids is poorly understood, and the visual system of most parasitoid species has not yet been investigated. We studied color discrimination ability and innate color preferences in the pupal parasitoid Pimpla turionellae (L.) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) during location of concealed hosts. Responses to combinations of yellow and blue bands of different reflectance intensities were investigated on cylindrical models of plant stems. The parasitoid's reaction to these chromatic cues was evaluated by scoring the number of ovipositor insertions into the colored bands. Female parasitoids discriminated blue from yellow irrespective of total reflectance and inserted their ovipositors significantly more often into the blue area. True color vision is demonstrated for the examined species, and responses to chromatic cues are discussed in relation to their importance for host location in parasitoids. Results of this study and of our previous work suggest that P. turionellae uses contrasts (chromatic or achromatic) rather than specific color characteristics in visual host location.


Abstract Sci-Art was an idea whose time had come; it helped to kickstart a new way of discovery that has had a lasting impact on scientific method and art practice. The fortuitous set of circumstances that secured the Wellcome Trust's longterm sponsorship of the idea (1997–2006) is related here by Terry Trickett. In responding to a leading question from New York's Cynthia Pannucci, he describes the early years of sci-art, when artists succeeded in penetrating the realm of science and scientists discovered a new creative impetus through art.


Objective: To evaluate the role of external fixator to treat the soft tissue condition along with metacarpal and phalangeal fracture in terms of fracture union and active range of motion.
Study Design: Descriptive, case series.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Orthopedics, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur from Jun 2011 to May 2013.
Subjects and Methods: Total 56 patients of 20-60 years age of both genders with comminuted and open fractures of metacarpal or phalanges bone of the hand, Swanson's Type-I were included by non-probability, consecutive sampling. Patients with Swanson's type-2, associated neurovascular injury, intra-articular fractures and fractures with tendon injuries were excluded. In all patients, mini-external fixators were applied and fracture was assessed for union and functional assessment on basis of active range of movement (Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor) at 6th and 12th weeks and 6th month.
Results: Mean age was 36.31 ± 8.79 years. Males were 73.21% and remaining 26.79% were females. The most common etiology of fracture was road traffic accident (64.29%) and 69.64% had phalangeal bone fractures. In 76.79% patients, only one digit was fractured while fracture of two and three digits was seen in 16.07% and 7.14% patients respectively. Functional results were excellent in 66.07%, good in 16.07%, fair in 10.71% and poor in of cases. Fracture union was seen in 91.07% at the end of 6 months.
Conclusion: This study concluded that mini external fixators are an effective treatment of open fractures of metacarpal or phalanges bone of the hand with high functional outcome and union rates.


There exists a strong link between Oxidative stress, renal dopaminergic system and hypertension. It is reported that reactive oxygen species attenuate renal proximal tubular dopamine receptor (D1R) function which disrupts sodium regulation and leads to hypertension. The mechanisms for renal D1R dysfunction, however are not clear. Here in, we investigated the role of redox sensitive transcription factors AP1 and SP3 in transcriptional suppression of D1R gene function and subsequent D1R signaling. Human kidney proximal tubular (
 HK2
 ) cell were treated with a pro-oxidant L-buthionine sulfoximine (
 BSO
 , 50 mM for 72 hr) with and without a polyphenol resveratrol (250 μM). Treatment of HK2 cells with BSO caused oxidative stress (malondialdehyde [MDA], nmol/mg protein: control: 0.13 ± 0.01, BSO: 0.20 ± .02) and significantly reduced D1R mRNA and membrane receptor number (fmol/mg protein; control—140.1 ± 5.6, BSO—81.7 ± 4.4). Incubation of HK2 cells with SKF38393, a D1R agonist, caused a concentration dependent inhibition of Na/K-ATPase (
 86
 Rb uptake, nmol/mg protein, control: basal—9.2 ± 0.2, SKF (1 μM)—6.3 ± 0.1). However, SKF38393 failed to inhibit Na/K-ATPase in BSO-treated cells (BSO: basal—9.5 ± 0.3, SKF—8.6 ± 0.2). Cells incubated with BSO exhibited increased AP1 (c-fos) and SP3 nuclear expression. Resveratrol per se had no effect on oxidative milieu (MDA: 0.11 ± 0.01) or D1R expression (143.3 ± 4.4), but it mitigated BSO-induced oxidative stress (MDA: 0.13 ± 0.02), AP1—SP3 up-regulation and D1R down-regulation (133.6 ± 6.2) and dysfunction (resveratrol + BSO [
 86
 Rb uptake]: basal—9.7 ±0.3, SKF—6.7 ± 0.4). Incubation of cells with AP1 or SP3 specific siRNA reduced the expression of respective protein by ~85% and abolished BSO-induced D1R dysfunction. Down-regulation of SP3 had no effect on BSO-mediated AP1 activation, however, AP1 siRNA blocked BSO-dependent SP3 up-regulation. In cells transfected with Nrf2 siRNA, resveratrol failed to block BSO-induced AP1—SP3 activation and D1R dysfunction. These data shows that oxidative stress

 via AP1—SP3 activation suppresses D1R transcription which leads to D1R dysfunction. Resveratrol activates Nrf2, mitigates oxidative stress, blocks AP1—SP3 signaling and prevents D1R down-regulation and dysfunction.


An NC-FIC nonfullerene acceptor, using a didodecylnaphthodithiophene (NDT) embedded octacyclic ladder-type donor NC, had been described previously. In this work, a new cross-shaped TC-FIC nonfullerene acceptor is designed by substitution of the NDT unit in the NC skeleton with a 2-dimensional didodecyltetrathienonaphthalene (TTN) unit. The 2-dimensional TC π-system with two vertically fused thiophenes strengthens the electron-donating ability, promotes π-electron delocalization and enhances intramolecular donor–acceptor charge transfer and intermolecular π–π interactions. As a result, TC-FIC shows more red-shifted and widened absorption compared to the NC-FIC counterpart. The PBDB-T:TC-FIC device exhibits a higher efficiency of 11.6% which greatly outperformed the corresponding PBDB-T:NC-FIC device with an efficiency of 7.52%. The dramatic 54% enhancement in efficiency is ascribed to the improved light-harvesting ability and enhanced charge mobilities which are benefited from the central 2-dimensional TTN moiety. By incorporating PC71BM to improve absorption and electron transport, the ternary-blend PBDB-T : TC-FIC : PC71BM device (1 : 1 : 1 in wt%) achieves a highest PCE of 13.49% with an enhanced Jsc of 23.80 mA cm−2, an FF of 64.4%, and a Voc of 0.88 V.


Delay-Tolerant Mobile Sensor Network (DTMSN) distinguishes itself from traditional Wireless Sensor Network by several distinctive characteristics. Since end-to-end connections in DTMSN exist with certain probability, the conventional routing protocols for WSN may achieve poor network performance under these challenging scenarios. Hotspot-Based Adaptive Routing (HAR) is a routing scheme designed for DTMSN, which includes mobile-assisted carriers (MA) to help data delivery from nodes to sink and exploits the regularity of nodal mobility to guide the route design for MA. In this paper, we present an improved routing scheme, named IHAR, based on HAR. In our scheme, several optimizations are employed to the original HAR to maintain less redundancy and better accuracy for hotspot selection. And the probabilities for different nodes to meet MA get balanced. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme outperforms the original HAR and adapts well under a variety of circumstances.


An overview of the related topics of anomalous coarsening and glassy dynamics is given. In anomalous coarsening, the typical domain size of an ordered phase grows more slowly with time than the power law dependence that is usually observed, for example, in magnetic systems. We discuss how anomalous coarsening may arise through domain-size-dependent energy barriers in the coarsening process. We also review the phenomenology of glassy dynamics and discuss how simple nonequilibrium models may be used to reproduce certain aspects of the phenomenology. In particular, models involving dynamical constraints that give rise to anomalous coarsening are considered. Two models, the asymmetric constrained Ising chain and the ABC model, are discussed in detail with emphasis on how the large energy barriers to coarsening arise through the local dynamical constraints. Finally, the relevance of models exhibiting anomalous coarsening to glassy systems is discussed in a wider context.


Innovative science benefits from diversity of thought and influence at all waypoints along the scientific journey, from early education to career-length contributions in research and mentorship. Scientific societies, like the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM), steward their innovators and the direction of the science, thereby defining the societal impact and evolution of a discipline. They are uniquely positioned to promote the representation and success of all scientists, including those from minoritized populations, through proactive advocacy, and inclusive mentorship, awards, and leadership. We introspectively review available records of SEPM membership, leadership, awardees, and editorial boards to identify areas for growth and begin a dialogue about how the society and its members can work together to better reflect our community. In the last decade, SEPM has seen a decline in membership, while representation and recognition of scientists from minoritized groups has remained low. Awards and honors have overwhelmingly gone to men, even in the last ten years, and very few women or people of color are in leadership roles. SEPM has recently taken positive steps towards becoming more inclusive (e.g., the Code of Professional Conduct); however, much more work is needed. We provide recommendations for swift actions that SEPM and its members should undertake for the society to become a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment where all scientists thrive. The systemic changes needed will take continuous effort, which must be shared by all of us, to build an enduring legacy that we can be proud of.


Research on translation processes using think-aloud protocols (TAPs) as the research design has recently received increasing attention in Translation Studies (TS). Such bulk of literature has produced many interesting findings about mental activities during the process of translation. In particular, it has helped uncover lexical search processes thanks to strategy identification through behavioral index-reading. The present paper surveys these studies with a particular eye on their potential use in the foreign language (FL) curriculum. Building on this analysis, an observational study is conducted which attempts to address how lexical failures in translation can be detected and redirected in the ongoing translation process. The experience is to be considered a preliminary step for a systematic approach to the construction of experimental models in the field of process-oriented translation and reading-comprehension teaching.


Background Following the term breech trial, elective caesarean section has been the preferred mode of delivery for term breech presentations.1 The practice has recently changed and with proper selection, more breech babies are being delivered vaginally. Aim To evaluate the practice and outcomes of term breech deliveries in a busy tertiary trust. Methods Retrospective case-note analysis of term singleton breech deliveries over 2008-2010 at St James University Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary. Results Out of 71 case-notes audited, 35 (49.3%); 28 (39.4%) and 8 (11.3%) patients were delivered by planned caesarean (EL.LSCS); emergency caesarean (Em.LSCS) and vaginal breech (VBD) respectively. For the El.LSCS group 20 (57.1%) were primigravida and 15 (42.9%) were para-1 or more of which 6 were previous caesarean section. External cephalic version (ECV) was attempted antenatally in 6 patients (17.1%). Average birth weight was 3.03kg with 3 admissions to the neo-natal unit (NNU). In the Em.LSCS group 18 (64.3%) were primigravida. ECV was attempted antenatally in 4 (14.3%). No ECV's were attempted in labour. Average birth weight was 3.42kg. Reasons for Em.LSCS was mostly just for breech presentation (82.1%) and the rest were for failure to progress and foetal distress. There were no admissions to the NNU. In the vaginal breech delivery group 3 (37.5%) were primigravida. Average birth weight was 3.13kg and there were no admissions to the NNU. Conclusions The babies admitted to NNU were exclusively from the EL. LSCS group and the rates of ECV and vaginal breech delivery remain low.


Three years ago, very few economists would have imagined that one of the newest and fastest growing research areas in international trade is the use of quantitative trade models to estimate the economic welfare losses from dissolutions of major countries' economic integration agreements (EIAs). In 2016, "Brexit" was passed in a United Kingdom referendum. Moreover, in 2019, the existence of the entire North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is at risk if the United States withdraws - a threat President Trump has made if the proposed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is not passed by the U.S. Congress. We use state-of-the-art econometric methodology to estimate the partial (average treatment) effects on international trade flows of the six major types of EIAs. Armed with precise estimates of the average treatment effect for a free trade agreement, we examine the general equilibrium trade and welfare effects of the elimination of NAFTA (and for robustness U.S. withdrawal only). Although all the member countries' standards of living fall, surprisingly the smallest economy, Mexico, is not the biggest loser; Canada is the biggest loser. Canada's welfare (per capita income) loss of 2.11 percent is nearly two times that of Mexico's loss of 1.15 percent and is nearly eight times the United States' loss of 0.27 percent. The simulations will illustrate the important influence of trade costs - international and intranational - in contributing to the gains (or losses) from an economic integration agreement's formation (or elimination).


In chapter one the aim was to establish and extend the characterization of murine models of thyroiditis and Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO), induced by transfer of TSH receptor (TSHR) primed T cells. In the first experiment, genetic immunization or TSHR fusion protein induced TSHR antibodies in all nine mice. Some of the antibodies functioned as thyroid-stimulating antibodies and/or TSH binding inhibiting Igs with 2/7 mice having elevated T4. Splenocyte transfer induced no immune response in naive BALB/cbyJico recipients. Subsequently genetic immunization or fusion protein-treated mice were maintained in either local or Brussels conditions (water, chow, and bedding). TSHR antibodies were induced in 9/9 Brussels (with decreased T4 in 1/9) but 5/9 local mice. No thyroiditis or orbital changes were induced, but misleading fixation artefacts in extraocular muscles were noted. Thyroids from many TSHR-treated and control mice contained ectopic thymus. Ectopic thymus can masquerade as thyroiditis, and care is required to avoid muscle artefacts. In chapter 2 the biological effects of TSHR activation in vitro, in adipose tissue - the site of orbital TSHR expression was examined. Activating mutant TSHR (TSHR*) or wild type (WT), were introduced into human orbital preadipocytes using retroviral vectors. Their proliferation, basal cAMP accumulation, spontaneous and PPARy induced adipogenesis were assessed and compared with non-modified cells. Expression of TSHR* significantly inhibited the proliferation of preadipocytes and produced an increase in unstimulated cAMP. PPARy induced adipogenesis in non-modified cells produced morphological changes, but not in TSHR* expressing cells. TSHR activation renders preadipocytes refractory to PPARy induced adipogenesis. The failure to develop lipid-containing vacuoles suggested the terminal stages of differentiation have been inhibited. In chapter 3 tears from patients with Graves' disease (GD), GO and smokers were examined for TSHR activation and protein changes. Reflex tears were collected from 37 normal non-smokers (NNS), 33 normal smokers (NS), 51 GD and 85 GO patients. Specific thyrotropin receptor stimulating activity (TSHRSA) was measured and also serum thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSAB). Pooled NNS, NS and GO tears were separated by SDS- PAGE and silver stained. Proteins expressed in the NS and GO pools but not NNS, were excised and analysed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Specific TSHRA was detected in 25% NS, 32% GD and 41% GO. A thyroid blocking antibody did not inhibit TSHRA. Clinical activity score correlated with serum TSAB but not tear TSHRSA. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed a higher vol/vol protein concentration in GO tears and additional proteins of 30 to 41 kD, in GO and NS compared with NNS. These were identified as zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein (ZAG) and lactoferrin (LF). ZAG (also known as lipid mobilising factor) and LF do not have TSHRSA. Therefore, similar changes in tear composition are present in GO and NS compared with NNS. We postulate that TSHRSA is a protease enzyme. ZAG and LF expression is increased and their molecular weights are modified, suggesting degradation and/or changes in glycosylation, which may affect their bioactivities. In chapter 4, transgenic adiponectin elevation in FVB mice produced profound changes in interscapular and orbital fat depots. No previous models have demonstrated orbital fat proliferation and these changes could be followed by orbital MRI. TSHR expression increases with adipogenesis but does not in this case lead to autoimmunity directed towards the TSHR. A wide range of circulating adiponectin levels are present GO patients and no clinical correlations were evident.


ABSTRACT Plagiarism and copyright infringement are terms that most students are familiar with, and when asked, most students will readily express the sentiment that plagiarizing the work of others or committing copyright infringement is wrong. Despite students' basic understanding of these concepts, many struggle to put them into practice. Often this is a result of students not having enough knowledge about how to cite sources or how copyrighted works can legally be reused for scholarly purposes. This article identifies a way in which copyright and plagiarism can be taught as well as a process students can work through when addressing these issues.


The effect of the force field parallel to the surface of the scaffold plate on cell activity (deformation, migration) has been studied in vitro. Cell orientation was aligned by microtopography patterns (striped ridgelines; height 0.7 μm, width 3 μm, spacing 3 μm) on the scaffold plane. Three compartments were designed with different angles (0 degrees, 45 degrees, and 90 degrees) between the longitudinal direction of the ridge and the direction of the force field. Osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1; osteoblast precursor cell line derived from mouse calvaria) were used in the experiment. After applying a force field for 5 hours, the position and contour of each cell were tracked on time-lapse microscopy images for 48 hours. Experimental results show that force fields not parallel to the major axis of the cell activate subsequent actions (deformation, migration) of the cell. The effect is maintained for 48 hours even if the cells move to different areas of the topography pattern.


There is contradictory evidence on whether speech production gets impaired or enhanced when people are restrained from gesturing. There is also very little research on how this effect can change with aging. The present study sought evidence for these by asking young and elderly adults to describe two different routes on a map in spontaneous speech and when gestures were prohibited. We found that elderly adults produced more spatial language when they were restricted to use gestures compared to their spontaneous speech, whereas young adults produced comparable levels of spatial language in both conditions. Young and elderly adults used comparable levels of gestures in their spontaneous route descriptions. Yet, only young adults' gesture use correlated positively with their spatial language production. Thus, the results of gesture prohibition on speech production are different for young and


OBJECT
The superior orbital fissure (SOF) is an important landmark in the neurosurgical pterional approach, but the anatomical features of the SOF and the procedures necessary to fully expose it and its contents have not been detailed. Although the pterional approach is commonly used during skull base or vascular surgery by neurosurgeons who may already be familiar with its nuances and anatomical relationships to the SOF, this knowledge may also be useful to the wider neurosurgical community. The authors describe the spatial relationships of the contents of the SOF and suggest a specific sequence of steps for exposing the SOF region in a pterional approach.

METHODS
Using standard microsurgical equipment and instruments, the authors performed 20 pterional approaches in 10 embalmed cadaver heads in which the vascular systems had been injected with colored material. Five sequential steps were delineated for approaching and dissecting the SOF and its contents: (1) drilling the sphenoidal ridge, anterior clinoidal process, and part of the greater and lesser wings of the sphenoid; (2) resecting the dural bridge; (3) detaching the hemispheric dura mater, thereby exposing the anterior portion of the cavernous sinus and the neural component entering the SOF; (4) identifying and dissecting the extraanular structures; and (5) opening the anulus of Zinn and identifying its neural constituents.

CONCLUSIONS
Knowing the 3D relationships of the contents of the SOF encountered in the pterional approach enables safe neurosurgical access to the area. The proposed sequence of steps allows a controlled exposure of the SOF and surrounding areas. Untethering the frontotemporal lobe by transecting the dural bridge connecting the dura to the periorbita allows good exposure of the basal frontotemporal lobes, both intra- and extradurally, and reduces brain retraction.


Introduction: Chronic pain after whiplash trauma (chronic WAD) to the neck is still a common clinical problem in terms of pain management, rehabilitation and insurance claims. In contrast to the increased knowledge concerning mechanisms of chronic pain in general, no clinical guidelines exist concerning assessment, pain control and rehabilitation of patients with chronic WAD. Aim: The general aim of this thesis was to use experimental techniques to better understand the complex mechanisms underlying chronic pain after whiplash trauma. The specific aims of papers I and II were mainly to use analgesic drugs with different target mechanisms alone or in combinations to assess their effects on pain intensity (VAS). Experimental pain techniques were used in all studies to assess deep tissue sensitivity (electrical, mechanical and chemical stimuli). Paper IV aimed at assessing deep tissue sensitivity to mechanical and chemical stimulation. The aim in paper III was to investigate if biochemical changes in interstitial muscle tissue (trapezius muscle) could be detected in WAD patients. Materials and Methods: The thesis is based on three different groups of patients with chronic WAD. In paper III and IV two different groups of healthy controls also participated. All patients were initially assessed in the pain and rehabilitation centre. In paper I (30 patients) and II (20 patients) two different techniques of drug challenges were used. In paper I: morphine, ketamine and lidocaine were used as single drugs. In paper II: remifentanil, ketamine and placebo were used in combinations and together with experimental pain assessments. Microdialysis technique was used in paper III (22 patients from study IV and 20 controls). In paper IV (25 patients and 10 controls) a new quantitative method, computerized cuff pressure algometry, was used in combination with intramuscular saline. In all papers, experimental pain techniques for deep tissue assessment (except cutaneous electrical stimulation in paper I) were used in different combinations: intramuscular hypertonic saline infusion, intramuscular electrical stimulation and pressure algometry. Results and Conclusion: There are multiple mechanisms behind chronic whiplash-associated pain, opioid sensitive neurons, NMDA-receptors and even sodium channels might play a part. A significant share of the patients were pharmacological non-responders to analgesic drugs targeting the main afferent mechanisms involved in pain transmission, this implies activation of different pain processing mechanisms (i.e. enhanced facilitation or changes in the cortical and subcortical neuromatrix). Experimental pain assessments and drug challenges together indicate a state of central hyperexcitability. Ongoing peripheral nociception (paper III), central sensitization and dysregulation of pain from higher levels in the nervous system may interact. These findings are likely to be present early after a trauma, however it is not possible to say whether they are trauma-induced or actually represents pre-morbid variations. Clinical trials with early assessments of the somatosensory system (i.e., using experimental pain) and re-evaluations, early intervention (i.e. rehabilitation) and intensified pain management could give further knowledge.


The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine what influenced the decision making of middle grades preservice teachers and how middle grades preservice teachers used cases as a strategy to foster decision making. Participants were seven middle grades preservice teachers from a small, private, Christian college in the southeast. Each participant was a case study. Data sources included interviews, class discussions, and artifacts. Within-case analysis and cross case analysis were used in the study. Findings indicate that participants had common and differing themes for what influenced their decision making and for how they used cases as a strategy to foster decision making. All participants were influenced in their decision making by their field experiences, personal experiences, and other people. Some participants were also influenced by other sources, needs and characteristics of students, and examining possible outcomes of decisions. Using cases as a strategy to foster decision making gave all participants the opportunity to reflect, helped them identify solutions to the dilemmas presented in the cases, and helped them examine consequences of the decisions they might make. Some participants used cases as a strategy to put them in the role of the teacher and to help them think about multiple perspectives.


ABSTRACT An extensive system of ridged landforms composed of ice-contact stratified sediment was deposited in the central lowland of Ireland during the most recent deglaciation (< 18,000 BP). The ridges have been interpreted by others as deposits of an ice-sheet drainage system (i.e.,"eskers") and as such have been used with other data to reconstruct the deglacial history. The traditional deglaciation model shows systematic retreat of ice from south to north. Our study, which involves an analysis of the ridged landforms using lithofacies, sedimentary structures, and paleocurrent data in conjunction with the geomorphology, indicates that the pattern and nature of the ridges are not compatible with this model and support a new model of deglaciation (Warren 1991) in which the "esker" system fo med in an interlobate area during the simultaneous shrinking of two main glacial outflow centers. An extensive lake system developed in the lowland between the two outflow centers. Ridges formed both perpendicular and parallel to ice margins, involved both active and stagnating ice, are both continuous and segmented (beaded), and were deposited in subaqueous and subaerial environments. Almost all of the ridges are associated with lacustrine sediments. Ice-contact ridges are polygenetic, and a genetic classification is proposed. Those that formed perpendicular to the ice margin are termed eskers; those that formed parallel are termed moraines. Distinction between esker types (continuous or beaded subglacial tunnel fills, fluvial ice-channel fills, and subaqueous fans) and moraine types (s baqueous or subaerial) is crucial to a reconstruction of the mode and pattern of deglaciation in the central Irish lowlands.


In this study miconazole nitrate was formulated as topically applied emulgel; different formulas were prepared using sodium carboxymethylcellulose (SCMC) and carboxypolymethylene (carbomer 941) as gelling agents. The influence of type of gelling agent and concentration of both oil phase and emulsifying agent on drug release was studied and compared with commercially available miconazole nitrate cream (Mecozalen®). The results of in vitro release showed that SCMC emulgel bases gave better release than carbomer 941 bases and the release of drug increase from both bases as a function of increasing the concentration of emulisifying agent. The oil phase had retardation effect when its concentration increased. The formula which showed the highest drug release was chosen to evaluate its rheology and its stability .The rheological behavior of selected formula showed share-thinning flow indicating structural break down of intermolecular interaction between polymeric chains. Moreover, the expiration date of the selected emulgel was found to be 1.7 year as well as their physical properties like, color, pH and consistency remains constant along storage time.
Keywords: emulgel, carbomer, miconazole nitrate, carboxymethyl cellulose.


Self-assembly of well-defined polymer microstructures is of interest for applications such as polymer solar cells, light emitting diodes, microelectronics and biosensors. Chemically patterned substrates can direct the phase separation of thin films of polymer blends, producing controlled morphologies. This has been demonstrated using patterned self-assembled monolayers. Binary-patterned polymer brushes provide a robust, chemically and topographically patterned surface which can interact with the blend, potentially resulting in interesting new behaviour, and greater control over phase separation.

Binary-patterned polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) brushes were synthesised by a novel method. A self-assembled monolayer of triethoxysilane was patterned by exposure to ultraviolet light. This produced amine-terminated areas that could react with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide to produce initiators for atom transfer radical polymerisation, allowing the synthesis of patterned polymer brushes. Dehalogenation of the first brush, followed by deprotection, modification and a second polymerisation produced binary-patterned brushes. Unpatterned and patterned polymer brushes were characterised using ellipsometry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angles, atomic force microscopy, lateral force microscopy, optical microscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry. An alternative approach, based on direct microcontact printing of an atom transfer radical polymerisation initiator, 11-(2-bromo-2-methyl)propionyloxyundecyltrichlorosilane, was also investigated, although this approach was ultimately unsuccessful.

The behaviour of thin films of polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends on silicon, patterned self-assembled monolayers and binary-patterned polymer brushes was studied. The morphologies were investigated using atomic force microscopy, optical microscopy, nuclear reaction analysis and secondary ion mass spectrometry, in order to determine the effect of the binary-patterned polymer brushes on the domain structure of the blend. The blend morphology was complex and reflected interactions between the blend and the brushes (as well as other factors). When the natural length scale of the blend is commensurate with the underlying pattern, phase separation may be spatially directed by the substrate.


The purpose of this reseaech was to investigate the relationship between teachers 'professional ethics with organizational virtue and teachers' organizational commitment (Case study: Primary Teachers of Education in Tehran District 5). This research was "applied" in terms of the purpose and in terms of "field" gathering and "descriptive" implementation of "solidarity" type. The research community consists of all teachers in the elementary education area of Tehran's 5th district, whose number is 755. The sample size was considered to be 254 people based on Krejcy and Morgan's tables. The data gathering method was library and field studies. Data gathering tool In this research, three standard questionnaires of professional ethics (1992), Cameron et al. Organizational virtue (2004) and organizational commitment of Allen and Meyer (1991) were used. Its reliability coefficient for variables was 0.76, 0.83 and 0.89 respectively. Data analysis was done by descriptive and inferential methods through software. In the descriptive statistics section (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and graphs), the research variables were shown. Inferential statistics included the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to verify the variables of the research and SPSS-22 software in order to investigate Relationship between variables. There is a direct relationship between the professional ethics and the organizational virtue of teachers. The higher the professional ethics of teachers are, the higher their organizational virtue, and there is a direct relationship between professional ethics and teacher commitment. The higher the professional ethos among teachers, the higher the organizational commitment, the direct relationship between organizational virtue and teacher commitment.


Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has initiated an upheaval in society and has been the cause of considerable stress during this period. Healthcare professionals have been on the front line during this health crisis, particularly paramedical staff. The aim of this study was to assess the high level of stress of healthcare workers during the first wave of the pandemic. Materials and methods The COVISTRESS international study is a questionnaire disseminated online collecting demographic and stress-related data over the globe, during the pandemic. Stress levels were evaluated using non-calibrated visual analog scale, from 0 (no stress) to 100 (maximal stress). Results Among the 13,537 individuals from 44 countries who completed the survey from January to June 2020, we included 10,051 workers (including 1379 healthcare workers, 631 medical doctors and 748 paramedical staff). The stress levels during the first wave of the pandemic were 57.8 ± 33 in the whole cohort, 65.3 ± 29.1 in medical doctors, and 73.6 ± 27.7 in paramedical staff. Healthcare professionals and especially paramedical staff had the highest levels of stress (p < 0.001 vs non-healthcare workers). Across all occupational categories, women had systematically significantly higher levels of work-related stress than men (p < 0.001). There was a negative correlation between age and stress level (r = -0.098, p < 0.001). Healthcare professionals demonstrated an increased risk of very-high stress levels (>80) compared to other workers (OR = 2.13, 95% CI 1.87–2.41). Paramedical staff risk for very-high levels of stress was higher than doctors' (1.88, 1.50–2.34). The risk of high levels of stress also increased in women (1.83, 1.61–2.09; p < 0.001 vs. men) and in people aged <50 (1.45, 1.26–1.66; p < 0.001 vs. aged >50). Conclusions The first wave of the pandemic was a major stressful event for healthcare workers, especially paramedical staff. Among individuals, women were the most at risk while age was a protective factor.


Mangabeira (Hancornia speciosa) is a native fruit tree found mainly in the Cerrado biome and shows great economic potential due to its multiple uses; the fruits are used in agriculture, are important as a food resource, and can be consumed in natura or processed. Due to a reduction in the area of ecosystems where it occurs, mangabeira is threatened by genetic erosion in Brazil. The characterization of the genetic diversity of plants can provide the basis for strategies to protect and conserve endangered populations, like mangabeira. This study aimed to compare eight DNA extraction methods in mangabeira because the key to success is the use of a pure genomic DNA for the characterization of genetic diversity in molecular biology techniques. The quality and concentration of DNA were revealed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Polymerase chain reaction amplifications were successfully by extractions using two commercial purification kits and by the method proposed by Khanuja et al. (1999), which produced sufficient genomic DNA of good quality from leaves of H. speciosa to perform techniques involving molecular biology. The protocol described by Khanuja et al. (1999) is less expensive when compared to the commercial purification kits.


Typhoon Lionrock (2016) made landfall in the Pacific side of northern Japan. One of the intriguing events was consecutive deep convections (convective bursts, CBs) occurred before making landfall on 31 August. Lionrock paused the decay of the intensity of the storm, although sea surface cooling (SSC) was induced distinctly by Lionrock along the track. To examine the influence of CBs on changes in storm intensity during the decay phase, numerical simulations were conducted with a 3 km mesh coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean model. The coupled model successfully simulated the occurrence of CBs north of the near-surface-convergence area, which was formed by the confluent of the storm's tangential winds with near-surface frictional spiral inflow from the surrounding region where the significant wave height was high. Simultaneously, the relatively fast translation and asymmetric tropical cyclone (TC) structure were maintained. Lower tropospheric horizontal moisture fluxes have enhanced around the convergence area, although SSC resulted in reduction of the air-sea latent heat fluxes within the storm's inner core. Local occurrences of upward moisture fluxes associated with CBs increased the mid-toupper tropospheric condensational heating on the upstream side. This caused local increase in lower-tropospheric pressure gradient on the upstream side. This was favorable for pausing the decay of the simulated storm intensity even during the decay phase. Sensitivity experiments regarding the execution time of the coupled model showed that the vertical moisture fluxes and number of CBs could increase around the surface frictional convergence area ahead of the storm when the coupled model was not used. This suggests that the storm in mid-latitude could locally increase the maximum surface wind speed under favorable oceanic conditions. The number and distribution of CBs are indeed sensitive to oceanic conditions and are considered to affect the storm-track simulation and maximum surface wind speeds.


A general analytic theory of voltage tunable solid-state far-infrared (FIR) amplifiers, generators and emitters, based on a current-driven instability of two-dimensional (2D) plasmons in a grating-coupled 2D electron system (ES) is presented.


The voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3 has been recently identified as a molecular target that allows the selective pharmacological suppression of effector memory T cells (T(EM)) without affecting the function of naïve T cells (T(N)) and central memory T cells (T(CM)). We found that Kv1.3 was expressed on glomeruli and some tubules in rats with anti-glomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis (anti-GBM GN). A flow cytometry analysis using kidney cells revealed that most of the CD4(+) T cells and some of the CD8(+) T cells had the T(EM) phenotype (CD45RC(-)CD62L(-)). Double immunofluorescence staining using mononuclear cell suspensions isolated from anti-GBM GN kidney showed that Kv1.3 was expressed on T cells and some macrophages. We therefore investigated whether the Kv1.3 blocker Psora-4 can be used to treat anti-GBM GN. Rats that had been given an injection of rabbit anti-rat GBM antibody were also injected with Psora-4 or the vehicle intraperitoneally. Rats given Psora-4 showed less proteinuria and fewer crescentic glomeruli than rats given the vehicle. These results suggest that T(EM) and some macrophages expressing Kv1.3 channels play a critical role in the pathogenesis of crescentic GN and that Psora-4 will be useful for the treatment of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis.


Many studies have demonstrated that multiple classifier systems, such as the random subspace method (RSM), obtain more outstanding and robust results than a single classifier on extensive pattern recognition issues. In this paper, we propose a novel subspace selection mechanism, named the dynamic subspace method (DSM), to improve RSM on automatically determining dimensionality and selecting component dimensions for diverse subspaces. Two importance distributions are proposed to impose on the process of constructing ensemble classifiers. One is the distribution of subspace dimensionality, and the other is the distribution of band weights. Based on the two distributions, DSM becomes an automatic, dynamic, and adaptive ensemble. The real data experimental results show that the proposed DSM obtains sound performances than RSM, and that the classification maps remarkably produce fewer speckles.


The temperature sensor using all-pass microrin resonator (APMRR) investigated theoretically and analyzed. An optical bright soliton is used as a probe to study the effect of applied temperature on the light behavior pass through microring waveguide. The split-step Fourier method is used to study the pulse propagation inside the APMRR. Result shows that the rise of temperature on peak amplitude ratio fit with quadratic line in temperature range of 27 o C-37 o C. . The temperature at 30 o C generate higher slope of reduction compare to temperature at 36oC. The amplitude ratio is reduced into 0.6 (-4.4370 dB) when the temperature increased as small as 1 o C. The operating range for all-pass resonator is 97 o C with amplitude reduction of -8.3975 dB.


Background The locus coeruleus (LC) is one of the earliest brain regions to accumulate hyperphosphorylated tau, but a lack of animal models that recapitulate this pathology has hampered our ability to understand its contributions to the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Objective We previously reported that TgF344-AD rats, which overexpress mutant human amyloid precursor protein and presenilin-1, accumulate early endogenous hyperphosphorylated tau in the LC. Here, we used TgF344-AD rats and a wild-type (WT) human tau virus to interrogate the effects of endogenous hyperphosphorylated rat tau and human tau in the LC on AD-related neuropathology and behavior. Methods Two-month old TgF344-AD and WT rats received bilateral LC infusions of WT human tau or mCherry control virus driven by the noradrenergic-specific PRSx8 promoter. Rats were subsequently assessed at 6 and 12 months for arousal (sleep latency), anxiety-like behavior (open field, elevated plus maze, novelty-suppressed feeding), passive coping (forced swim task), and learning and memory (Morris water maze and fear conditioning). Hippocampal microglia, astrocyte, and AD pathology were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Results In general, the effects of age were more pronounced than genotype or treatment; older rats displayed greater hippocampal pathology, took longer to fall asleep, had reduced locomotor activity, floated more, and had impaired cognition compared to younger animals. TgF344-AD rats showed increased anxiety-like behavior and impaired learning and memory. The tau virus had negligible influence on most measures. Conclusion Effects of hyperphosphorylated tau on AD-like neuropathology and behavioral symptoms were subtle. Further investigation of different forms of tau is warranted.


Objectives To ascertain what meaning individuals attach to perceiving images of their own interior body and how the images and their meanings affect the clinical consultation. Design Face-to-face semistructured interviews. Participants 25 adult patients in southern England who, within the preceding 12 months, had been referred for diagnostic imaging. Setting Community. Results For patients, being shown their own X-rays, MRIs or CT images creates a variety of effects: (1) a sense of better understanding of the diagnosis; (2) validation of their sensory and emotional response to the illness or injury and (3) an alteration to the tenor and nature of the clinical encounter between patient and physician. In addition to meanings attached to these images, patients also impute meaning to the physician's decision not to share an image with them. The desire to see their image was greater in those patients with a skeletal injury; patients are less keen on viewing abdominal or other soft tissue images. Conclusions Viewing images of one's interior, invisible body is powerful and resonant in a number of ways. The experience of not seeing, whether through the patient's or the physician's choice, is also fraught with meaning.


Abstract This article identifies and describes a pivotal event in the formation of the Russian court theatre: a performance in February 1672 for the Russian royal family given by a small group of foreign residents in Moscow. This performance (and another that followed in May) was the direct catalyst for the formation of Tsar Aleksej Michajlovič's court theatre in October 1672. By examining a series of contemporary published accounts (printed newspapers and the 1680 work by Jacob Rautenfels) and unpublished diplomatic dispatches, we have not only been able to pinpoint the date for this event (16 February 1672), but also establish the important connections between Western theatrical practice and the beginnings of staged theatre in Russia. Because some of the characters (or their actions) featured in this first Western-style performance appeared later in Tsar Aleksej's regular court theatre (especially the stock comic figure Pickleherring), our work not only rewrites the pre-history of Russian theatre, but also contextualises the performances that followed. More broadly, the documents we use (some of which are newly discovered) show the importance to cultural historians of the communications revolution in Early Modern Europe, with its emphasis on the regular transmission of current news and information through newspapers and diplomatic dispatches, sources that have rarely been used for studies of early Russian culture.


Abstract:This empirical study examines how English for Academic Purposes (EAP) university classes in Japan and South Korea approach second language (L2), genre-based writing studies and how students (n=71) perceive their studies in light of recent trends in genre theory pedagogy and methodology. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data on learner perceptions, while interviews with instructors (n=2) and a review of their teaching materials revealed classroom teaching practices. The results demonstrate that current genre-based teaching methods in Japan and South Korea are not entirely congruent with (a) learners' perceptions of teaching practices that can facilitate academic writing development, (b) genre-based pedagogies in other learning contexts, and (c) what the literature suggests are principles of best practice. The participants call for a more integrated, form- and functionbased approach to genre-based studies. This study argues for more integrated genre pedagogies in Japan and South Korea and provides EAP instructors concerned with best practice a foundation for change regarding genre-based teaching methods. This research also contributes to a better understanding of L2 writing studies in East Asian contexts and advances understandings of learner metacognition as a tool for informing localized L2 writing pedagogies.


The double-cubane cluster (DCC) refers to an [Fe8S9] iron-sulfur complex that is otherwise only known to exist in nitrogenases. Containing a bridging µ2-S ligand, the DCC in the DCC-containing protein (DCCP) is covalently linked to the protein scaffold via six coordinating cysteine residues. In this study, the nature of spin coupling and the effect of spin states on the cluster's geometry are investigated computationally. Using density functional theory (DFT) and a broken symmetry (BS) approach to study the electronic ground state of the system, we computed the exchange interaction between the spin-coupled spins of the four FeFe dimers contained in the DCC. This treatment yields results that are in excellent agreement with both computed and experimentally determined exchange parameters for analogously coupled di-iron complexes. Hybrid quantum mechanical (QM)/molecular mechanical (MM) geometry optimizations show that cubane cluster A closest to charged amino acid side chains (Arg312, Glu140, Lys146) is less compact than cluster B, indicating that electrons of the same spin in a charged environment seek maximum separation. Overall, this study provides the community with a fundamental reference for subsequent studies of DCCP, as well as for investigations of other [Fe8S9]-containing enzymes.


This paper represents our recent experimental measurement study of the complex noise in industrial fields, using a novel acoustic detection system and wavelet transform algorithms. Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) continues to be one of the most prevalent occupational hazards in the United States. Number of research on NIHL showed a complex noise could produce more hearing loss than an energy-equivalent continuous or impulsive noise alone. Many workplaces in varied industries are subjected to the high level complex noise (i.e., high-level impulsive noise mixed with continuous Gaussian noise). The current noise measurement guidelines and devices (e.g., conventional sound level meters) are based on the equal energy hypothesis (EEH), which states that loss of hearing by exposure to noise is proportional to the total acoustic energy of the exposure. However, the EEH does not accurately rate the impulsive noise and the complex noise. Therefore, the conventional sound level meter may not be able to accurately assess the complex noise in industrial fields. In this project, a new waveform profile based noise measurement system has been developed for evaluation of the high level complex noise in industrial fields. The system consists of four ½" condenser microphones, and it can simultaneously detect and record four waveforms of the complex noise with high sampling rate (125 KHz). In addition, a wavelet transform based signal analysis algorithm has been modified and implemented to characterize the complex noise. Pilot field measurements have been conducted in selected local coal mining fields (e.g., wet coal preparation plant and dry coal handling plant) using the developed system. The preliminary results showed that the system successfully detected and recorded waveforms of complex noise in industrial fields. The modified algorithm can decomposed the complex noise signals and display the detailed features in the time-frequency joint domain. The key parameters of complex noise can be determined, and the hazardous complex noise in industrial fields can be identified. In addition, when measuring the equivalent A-weighted averaged sound pressure level, the developed system is comparable to a conventional sound level meter.


Two different experiments were conducted to study the effects of frequency, height and load of lift on computed maximal oxygen uptake and to compare the data obtained to a standard bicycle ergometer. A progressive submaximal technique was used to predict maximal oxygen uptake. The results of the present study revealed that across all heights, an increase in either the frequency of lift or load of lift was accompanied by an increase in computed maximal oxygen uptake; however, all maximal oxygen uptake values reported showed a tendency to level off beyond the frequency of five lifts/min. The results also showed that combined arm and leg lifting recorded the highest maximal oxygen uptake followed by leg lifting then arm lifting, respectively. Maximal oxygen uptake values obtained for lifting tasks were much lower than those obtained for a bicycle ergometer. It is therefore recommended that limits for continuous work for a lifting task be based on the attainable maximal oxygen uptake for that particular task and not on a maximal oxygen uptake obtained from another task such as a bicycle ergometer test.


A novel linked thermoelectric system (LTES), fabricated by a simple structural modification of a conventional thermoelectric system (CTES) with the use of conductive metal rods, is characterized experimentally. The LTES generates higher power to the external load in comparison with the CTES, and the power increases with increasing length of the metal rods when the low temperature side of the system is set in the air at room temperature. In addition, measurements of Seebeck voltages of both the systems indicate that the Seebeck coefficient of thermoelectric materials in the LTES is about 1.2 times higher than that in the CTES.


The solar power market is growing at a quickening pace, fueled by an array of national and local initiatives and policies aimed at improving the value proposition of customer-sited photovoltaic (PV) systems. Though these policies take many forms, they commonly include up-front capital cost rebates or ongoing production incentives, supplemented by net metering requirements to ensure that customer-sited PV systems offset the full retail rate of the customer-hosts. Somewhat less recognized is the role of retail rate design, beyond net metering, on the customer-economics of grid-connected PV. Over the life of a PV system, utility bill savings represent a substantial portion of the overall economic value received by the customer. At the same time, the design of retail electricity rates, particularly for commercial and industrial customers, can vary quite substantially. Understanding how specific differences in rate design affect the value of customer-sited PV is therefore essential to supporting the continued growth of this market.


This paper presents OpTaS, a task specification Python library for Trajectory Optimization (TO) and Model Predictive Control (MPC) in robotics. Both TO and MPC are increasingly receiving interest in optimal control and in particular handling dynamic environments. While a flurry of software libraries exists to handle such problems, they either provide interfaces that are limited to a specific problem formulation (e.g. TracIK, CHOMP), or are large and statically specify the problem in configuration files (e.g. EXOTica, eTaSL). OpTaS, on the other hand, allows a user to specify custom nonlinear constrained problem formulations in a single Python script allowing the controller parameters to be modified during execution. The library provides interface to several open source and commercial solvers (e.g. IPOPT, SNOPT, KNITRO, SciPy) to facilitate integration with established workflows in robotics. Further benefits of OpTaS are highlighted through a thorough comparison with common libraries. An additional key advantage of OpTaS is the ability to define optimal control tasks in the joint-space, task-space, or indeed simultaneously. The code for OpTaS is easily installed via pip, and the source code with examples can be found at github.com/cmower/optas.


The adhesive and wear properties of ITO thin film have been investigated using the scratch and wear tests. ITO thin film was fabricated on glass substrate using RF magnetron sputter and strip lines were formed by selective etching. In the scratch test, the normal load on WC micro-blade was increased and kept constant as it was drawn over the films. In the wear test, sapphire, SUS and WC balls slided repeatedly on the films with the constant normal load. During the scratch and wear, the ESR and the acoustic signal were monitored and recorded. In order to study the adhesive and wear properties of ITO thin films, it was desirable to use the ESR rather than the acoustic signal. From the change in the ESR, it was possible to measure the critical load to cut through ITO film completely and the critical number of sliding to wear ITO film completely.


OBJECTIVE
This study examined the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid psychiatric disorders among juvenile detainees.

METHODS
The sample consisted of a stratified random sample of 898 youths aged ten to 18 years who were arrested and detained in Chicago.

RESULTS
Among participants with PTSD, 93% had at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder; however, among those without PTSD, 64% had at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder. Over half (54%) of the participants with PTSD had two or more types of comorbid disorders--that is, affective, anxiety, behavioral, or substance use disorders--and 11% had all four types of comorbid disorders. Among males, having any psychiatric diagnosis significantly increased the odds of having comorbid PTSD. Among females, alcohol use disorder and both alcohol and drug use disorders significantly increased the odds of having PTSD. No significant difference in prevalence rates of PTSD was found between males and females with specific psychiatric disorders. The prevalence of any comorbid psychiatric disorder was significantly greater for males with PTSD than that for females with PTSD (OR=3.4, CI=1.1-10.6, p<.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Detection of comorbid PTSD among detained youths must be improved. PTSD is often missed because traumatic experiences are rarely included in standard screens or volunteered by patients. When planning treatment, clinicians must consider ramifications of comorbid PTSD.


Myocardial infarction (MI) is an important clinical problem because of its large contribution to mortality. The main causal and treatable risk factors for MI include hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease and smoking. In addition to these risk factors, recent studies have shown the importance of genetic factors and interactions between multiple genes and environmental factors. Genetic linkage analyses of families and sib-pairs as well as candidate gene association studies have implicated several loci and many candidate genes in predisposition to coronary heart disease (CHD) or MI. Recent genome-wide association studies demonstrated that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at chromosome 9p21.3 or other loci were associated with CHD or MI. Such studies may provide insight into the function of implicated genes as well as into the role of genetic factors in the development of CHD and MI.

Key concepts

Twin and family studies have established that CHD aggregates in families, with a family history of early onset CHD being considered a risk factor for the disease.

Genes responsible for familial hypercholesterolaemia and Tangier disease are the prototypical examples of causal genes for Mendelian disorders associated with CHD and MI.

Several genome-wide linkage analyses of families or sib-pairs have identified chromosomal loci linked, or genetic variations that confer susceptibility, to MI, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or CHD.

Various association studies of unrelated individuals have identified genetic variations that confer susceptibility to MI or CHD. Numerous candidate genes have been implicated, but those that show reproducible associations between risk alleles and CHD or MI in replication studies are few.

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) and subsequent analysis have suggested that the lymphotoxin alpha gene is important in the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis and thrombosis.

Four independent GWAS have identified SNPs at chromosome 9p21.3 that were associated with CHD or MI in several white cohorts.

In addition, several GWAS identified SNPs associated with CHD or MI at various chromosomal loci.

Identification of susceptibility genes for CHD and MI and clarification of the functional relevance of genetic variants to these conditions will contribute to the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of CHD and MI.

Keywords:

myocardial infarction;
coronary heart disease;
genetics;
polymorphism;
linkage analysis;
genome-wide association study


Drawing upon secret correspondence between the British colonial government in Hong Kong and the Foreign Office in London, Hong Kong newspapers and individual memoirs, this paper examines how the British colonial government enabled CCP propaganda that shaped the formation of the early news policies of the newly founded PRC. Challenging the conclusions of previous scholarship, this study argues that while Hong Kong was the centre of political debates regarding whether privately-owned newspapers could exist in the PRC, Communist Party leaders in Hong Kong reached an internal consensus regarding press reform well before the New Democracy Revolution was aborted. Furthermore, the democrats and private newspapers runners, who were the intended objects of transformation, contributed to the process of the demise of private newspapers without requiring recourse to violent-means on the part of the Communists.


Epigenetics is considered by many to be the "new genetics" because of the overwhelming evidence of the contribution of non-genetic factors such as nutrition, environment, and chemical exposure on gene expression. The effects of epigenetics are vast, including tissue/organ regeneration, X-chromosome inactivation, and stem cell differentiation and genomic imprinting and aging. Aberrations of epigenetics influence many diseases for which clinical intervention is already in place, and many novel epigenetic therapies for cancer, immune disorders, neurological and metabolic disorders, and imprinting diseases are on the horizon. This comprehensive collection of reviews written by leaders in the field of epigenetics provides a broad view of this important and evolving topic. From molecular mechanisms and epigenetic technology to discoveries in human disease and clinical epigenetics, the nature and applications of the science will be presented for those with interests ranging from the fundamental basis of epigenetics to therapeutic interventions for epigenetic-based disorders. * Contributions by leading international investigators involved in molecular research and clinical and therapeutic applications * Integrates methods and biological topics with basic and clinical discoveries * Includes coverage of new topics in epigenetics such as prions, regulation of long-term memory by epigenetics, metabolic aspects of epigenetics, and epigenetics of neuronal disorders


Mounting evidence indicates that growth of pathologically identical cancers in each individual patient is fueled by different sets of driving mutations. The need to identify these drivers stems from the recognized necessity for tailoring therapy and scheduling future surveillance. This personalized medical approach has been shown to result in better treatment outcomes. We present a novel Precision Cancer Analysis system (PCAS) capable of identifying activated signaling pathways by means of a transfected cell-based fluorescent reporter assay yielding a quantitative output of particular pathway activation levels. Being a functional platform PCAS reveals activated pathways regardless of the type of mutation behind it, i.e. whether it is already a known mutation or a variant of unknown significance (VUS) mutation. 20 cancer patients were sequenced for a panel of 37 genes and analyzed by the PCAS. This system quantifies oncogenic activity in the majority of the oncogenic signaling pathways altered by the patients9 mutations through a functional assay and does not rely on prior knowledge of the mutations. The system produces a quantitative output enabling grading the different mutants of the same patient, providing prioritization for better drug selection.In 3 tested genes, 16 different mutations were identified- 4 in EGFR, 4 in PIK3CA and 8 in KRAS. Of these 10 were classified as known mutations for which functional annotation exists, and 6 were VUS. In addition to correctly annotating all known mutations, the PCAS further quantified oncogenic activity in all the VUS tested. Measuring the functional mechanism behind known mutations and VUS provides another layer of critical information to the physician. These results clearly demonstrate the value of a functional assay in accurately identifying the optimal course of treatment, particularly by its ability to add actionable information to VUS. The study produced a comprehensive delineation of the oncogenic activity of each patient9s individual mutations demonstrating the ability of the PCAS to 1) accurately deliver comparable actionable information as found by NGS, 2) functionally characterize mutations annotated as VUS, and 3) monitor oncogenic activity of signaling pathways induced by different mutations and mutation-combinations enabling informed treatment decisions. Citation Format: Gabi Tarcic, Nir Peled, Zohar Barabash, Naama Barabash-Katzir, Shlomo Yaakobi, Eli Besser, Hani Nevo, Michael Vidne, Mariusz Adamek, Mordechai R. Kramer, Nikolai Goncharenko, Yakov Fellig, Karen Meir, Keith Mostov, Yoram Altschuler. Identification of the functional significance of mutations using the novel Precision Cancer Analysis System. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr LB-B24.


A low-noise, cryogenically cooled preamplifier has been designed and built for indium antimonide detectors used in IR astronomy. General noise and frequency response equations for the transimpedance amplifier are derived. The effects of finite open-loop gain and bandwidth and of photodetector parameters on circuit performance are shown. A current-injecting background cancellation scheme based on optical feedback and synchronous filtering is described. Total electrical NEP figures as low as 10/SUP -16/ W (at 5 /spl mu/m) and background rejection ratios higher than 3000:1 have been measured using a 0.5 mm diameter detector.


1. In the Lumbricidae the secretion of the calciferous glands consists mainly of calcium carbonate, the percentage of carbonate in the calcite concretions being 95-97 per cent. 2. Feeding experiments indicate that the calcium of the secretion can be derived from the common inorganic salts such as the carbonate, sulphate, phosphate, oxalate, chloride, and nitrate, and also from pear leaves. 3. Measurements of the hydrogen-ion concentration of the gut, soil, and castings of specimens of Lumbricus terrestris show that the tendency of the cast to be more neutral than the soil is due to the secretions of the gut as a whole, and not to the secretion of the calciferous glands. 4. The optimum p H9s of two of the main intestinal enzymes have been measured. Amylase has an optimum at p H 6·8-7·0, and lipase at p H 6·4-6·6 and 7·3-7·7 depending on the substrate. 5. The amount of carbon dioxide bound as carbonate by the glands was measured in a series of experiments with earthworms kept in different calcium salts. The percentage of carbon dioxide excreted as carbonate never exceeded 10 per cent, of the total metabolic carbon dioxide. 6. Absorption of iron saccharate injected into worms took place occasionally, in groups of adjacent cells in the intestine and in isolated cells in the calciferous glands. 7. The true function of the calciferous glands is excretion, calcium carbonate being passed into the gut as crystals of calcite which are chemically inactive in the gut.


Epitaxial rhombohedral boron nitride films were deposited on α-Al2O3(001) substrates by chemical vapor deposition, using trimethylboron, ammonia, and with a low concentration of silane in the growth flux. The depositions were performed at temperatures from 1200 to 1485 °C, pressures from 30 to 90 mbar and N/B ratios from 321 to 1286. The most favorable conditions for epitaxy were: a temperature of 1400 °C, N/B around 964, and pressures below 40 mbar. Analysis by thin film X-ray diffraction showed that most deposited films were polytype-pure epitaxial r-BN with an out-of-plane epitaxial relationship of r-BN[001]∥ w-AlN[001]∥ α-Al2O3[001] and with two in-plane relationships of r-BN[110]∥ w-AlN[110]∥ α-Al2O3[100] and r-BN[110]∥ w-AlN[110]∥ α-Al2O3[1̅00] due to twinning.


Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programmes are a structured approach to returning soldiers and militia members to civilian life. One of the aims is to support implementation of the peace process, by addressing their interests and reducing the chance of them becoming "spoilers". Since the early 90s, DDR has been implemented in countries emerging from conflict, such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola and Afghanistan. They are now underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. The results have been mixed, and the agencies responsible for designing and implementing DDR are still developing best practice.

This study aims to identify the role of a participatory approach as a factor in ensuring success in a DDR programme. Ex-combatants, receiving communities, local implementing partners, and newlyestablished national structures can all be involved to a greater or lesser degree in the process. The argument for greater involvement – a participatory approach – includes better outcomes in terms of ownership of the process and political will, improved likelihood that real needs are addressed, greater relevance for female ex-combatants and children, sustainability in reintegration and economic initiatives, and capacity building.


In this work, we examine the extent to which embeddings may encode marginalized populations differently, and how this may lead to a perpetuation of biases and worsened performance on clinical tasks. We pretrain deep embedding models (BERT) on medical notes from the MIMIC-III hospital dataset, and quantify potential disparities using two approaches. First, we identify dangerous latent relationships that are captured by the contextual word embeddings using a fill-in-the-blank method with text from real clinical notes and a log probability bias score quantification. Second, we evaluate performance gaps across different definitions of fairness on over 50 downstream clinical prediction tasks that include detection of acute and chronic conditions. We find that classifiers trained from BERT representations exhibit statistically significant differences in performance, often favoring the majority group with regards to gender, language, ethnicity, and insurance status. Finally, we explore shortcomings of using adversarial debiasing to obfuscate subgroup information in contextual word embeddings, and recommend best practices for such deep embedding models in clinical settings.


Objective: To explore the national survey of hospital medication safety practice during mass gathering (Hajj -2016) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia: Medication Administration, the finding of ISMP (2011) self-assessment of medication safety at the hospital. Methods: It is 15 days crosssectional national survey of hospital medication safety at Makkah region. The survey modified from Institution of Safe Medication Practice (ISMP) self-assessment of hospital medication safety. It consisted of a demographic section and ten domains with 270 questions. The ten areas included patient information, drug information, communication of medication orders, drug preparation, medication distribution, medication devices, work environment, staff competency, patient education, quality process with risk management domain. The 5-points Likert response scale system used. The survey distributed to sixteen directors of hospital pharmacy during mass gathering Hajj-2016. The medications safety officer at Makkah region distributed the questionnaire and made a follow-up on a daily basis used physical visiting and through the telephone call. Results: The survey distributed to sixteen hospitals, the response rate, was eleven hospitals (68.75%). The total score of all ISMP-self assessment of medication safety was 3.39 +/-0.51 (67.68 %) with CI (3.2-3.6) P Key words: Medication Safety, Hajj, Drug, Administration, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia.


Ethylisobutylaluminoxane (EBAO) and its analogues were synthesized by a reaction between an triethylaluminum (Et3Al)/triisobutylaluminum (i-Bu3Al) mixture and 4-fluorobenzeneboronic acid, phenylboronic acid, or n-butaneboronic acid and subsequent hydrolysis with water. They were used as cocatalysts in ethylene polymerization catalyzed by an iron complex {[(ArNC(Me))2C5H3N]FeCl2, where Ar is 2,6-diisopropylphenyl}. Polyethylene with a high molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution was prepared with modified EBAOs, and the performance of the iron complex at high polymerization temperatures was greatly improved. The activators for the iron complex also affected the polymerization activity and the molecular weight of the resultant polyethylene. It was suggested that the stereo and electronic effects of the substitute groups of aluminoxane contributed to the improved performance of the new activators. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1093–1099, 2004


For decades now, Silicon Valley has been the home of the future. Its the birthplace of the worlds most successful high-tech companiesincluding Apple, Yahoo!, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and many more. So whats the secret? What is it about Silicon Valley that fosters entrepreneurship and innovation? With Silicon Valley:Planet Startup, Peter Ester and Arne Maasargue that the answer lies in Silicon Valleys culturea corporate culture that values risk-taking, creativity, invention, and sharing. Through extensive interviews with Dutch entrepreneurs working in the area, Ester and Maas show that Silicon Valley is above all a mindset: a belief in thinking, with passion and ambition, far beyond the here and now. Scholars and business and budding entrepreneurs alike are sure to find both inspiration and illumination in the stories and analysis Ester and Maashave assembled here.


Determination of the radial profile of phase space density of relativistic electrons at constant adiabatic invari- ants is crucial for identifying the source for them within the outer radiation belt. The commonly used method is to con- vert flux observed at fixed energy to phase space density at constant first, second and third adiabatic invariants, which requires an empirical global magnetic field model and thus might produce some uncertainties in the final results. From a different perspective, in this paper we indirectly infer the shape of the radial profile of phase space density of rela- tivistic electrons near the geosynchronous region by statisti- cally examining the geosynchronous energetic flux response to 128 solar wind dynamic pressure enhancements during the years 2000 to 2003. We thus avoid the disadvantage of us- ing empirical magnetic field models. Our results show that the flux response is species and energy dependent. For pro- tons and low-energy electrons, the primary response to mag- netospheric compression is an increase in flux at geosyn- chronous orbit. For relativistic electrons, the dominant re- sponse is a decrease in flux, which implies that the phase space density decreases toward increasing radial distance at geosynchronous orbit and leads to a local peak inside of geosynchronous orbit. The flux response of protons and non- relativistic electrons could result from a phase density that in- creases toward increasing radial distance, but this cannot be determined for sure due to the particle energization associ- ated with pressure enhancements. Our results for relativistic electrons are consistent with previous results obtained using magnetic field models, thus providing additional confirma- tion that these results are correct and indicating that they are not the result of errors in their selected magnetic field model.


The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of iontophoresis combined with local psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy in chronic foot eczema. A randomized, observer-blinded, multi-centre study was conducted in 48 patients with chronic moderate-to-se-vere foot eczema randomized to one of 3 groups: In the iontophoresis group local bath-PUVA was preceded by iontophoresis. In the PUVA group only local PUVA was given. The corticosteroid group was treated with fluticasone. All treatments were given for 8 weeks, with an 8-week follow-up period. The primary efficacy parameter was eczema score described by Rosén et al. Secondary efficacy parameters were a global impression by the patient, and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). The eczema score and the DLQI decreased significantly over time. There were no significant differences in the decrease in eczema score ( p = 0.053) and DLQI values ( p = 0.563) between the 3 treatments. The DLQI values in our chronic foot eczema patients were high. There was no obvious advantage of local bath-PUVA with or without iontophoresis over local steroid therapy. Data on foot eczema


This paper introduces constructivist dialogue mapping (CDM), a new type of concept mapping. CDM encodes what people learn during a non-goal directed learning activity. CDM is a practical means to outline the mini theories users fluidly construct as they explore open-ended learning environments. To demonstrate the method, in this paper we use CDM to track how two modelers elaborate understandings during use of a constructionist learning game, Ant Adaptation. Using the method, we show how two users contest and construct their idea of self-organization in ant colonies. The method is rooted in constructionism, constructivism, concept mapping, and conceptual change.


The geometrical structures, relative stabilities, electronic and magnetic properties of small BnAl− (2 ≤ n ≤ 9) clusters are systematically investigated by using the first-principles density functional theory. The results show that the Al atom prefers to reside either on the outer-side or above the surface, but not in the centre of the clusters in all of the most stable BnAl− (2 ≤ n ≤ 9) isomers and the one excess electron is strong enough to modify the geometries of some specific sizes of the neutral clusters. All the results of the analysis for the fragmentation energies, the second-order difference of energies, and the highest occupied-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps show that B4Al− and B8Al− clusters each have a higher relative stability. Especially, the B8Al− cluster has the most enhanced chemical stability. Furthermore, both the local magnetic moments and the total magnetic moments display a pronounced odd-even oscillation with the number of boron atoms, and the magnetic effects arise mainly from the boron atoms except for the B7Al− and B9Al− clusters.


ABSTRACT: This paper examines whether firms manipulating their reported financial results make suboptimal investment decisions. We examine fixed asset investments for a large sample of public companies during the 1978–2002 period and document that firms that manipulate their earnings—firms investigated by the SEC for accounting irregularities, firms sued by their shareholders for improper accounting, and firms that restated financial statements—over-invest substantially during the misreporting period. Furthermore, following the misreporting period, these firms no longer over-invest, consistent with corrected information leading to more efficient investment levels. We find similar patterns for firms with high discretionary revenues or accruals. Our findings suggest that earnings management, which is largely viewed as targeting parties external to the firm, can also influence internal decisions.